DualHead2Go Frequently Asked Questions
| How do I know if my computer is compatible with DualHead2Go? The best way to ensure that your system is compatible with DualHead2Go is to download the Compatibility Tool (if you’re running a supported Windows Operating System) or use the Compatibility Wizard (if you own a Mac). Please visit the GXM System Compatibility page for more details. Note that you must verify your system’s compatibility prior to purchase in order for the product warranty to be valid. Can I run a different application on each monitor? Yes. The included PowerDesk software lets you manage where your windows pop-up and expand to, allowing you to drag different application windows onto each monitor. Maximizing each window will result in the corresponding application going full-screen on a single monitor. PowerDesk also lets you extend your application across multiple monitors if you choose to. Can I work with my laptop lid closed? Yes. Once DualHead2Go is connected to your laptop and monitors, you can close your laptop, put it aside, and simply use an external keyboard and mouse along with your two extra displays. The mechanism for setting up DualHead2Go in this manner varies from laptop vendor to laptop vendor. More information on this is given in the GXM Support Center. Can I use my laptop screen in addition to a DualHead2Go for a total of three screens? Yes. My computer has two video outputs; can I connect the DualHead2Go to one of the outputs and another monitor to the second output for a total of three monitors? Yes. Do I need a special brand of monitor? DualHead2Go can be used with any monitor that supports compatible resolutions, including flat panel monitors. Note that all monitors connected to DualHead2Go must run at the same resolution and refresh rate. Can I mix analog (VGA) and digital monitors with DualHead2Go Digital Edition? Yes. Any combination of analog and digital monitors is supported with DualHead2Go, though you may require an adapter if the output connector on the DualHead2Go is different from the monitor’s input connector. Is full screen DVD and video playback supported with DualHead2Go? Yes. If your laptop or desktop computer is already equipped with a DVD player, you will be able to watch a DVD or video content on any of the monitors of your multi-monitor environment. Playback will be as smooth as it would have been without DualHead2Go. Will DualHead2Go slow down my computer? No. DualHead2Go does not depend on the limited bandwidth of your USB connection, nor does it depend on the limited bandwidth of any PC Card bridge. Your 2D, 3D and video performance will be just as good as it would have been without DualHead2Go connected to your system. How does DualHead2Go work? Your computer’s video output would normally only allow for one monitor to be connected to it. If instead of plugging in a monitor to your system’s video output you plug in a DualHead2Go, your computer interprets this device as one double-wide monitor, so it outputs a single extra-wide image. As you have two monitors connected to your DualHead2Go, the DualHead2Go takes the left half of this extra-wide image it receives from your computer and sends it to your left monitor, and sends the right half to your right monitor. In this manner, DualHead2Go effectively lets you drive two separate monitors from a single video output. Is DualHead2Go a graphics card? No. DualHead2Go does not contain a GPU itself but connects to your computer’s video output and uses your own system’s graphics capabilities to render the extra-wide image that is then divided and sent to each monitor. For this reason, you can enjoy great performance across all monitors, whether you’re working with office applications in 2D, high-end applications that use 3D or Open-GL technology, or engaging in HD video playback. The more powerful your existing graphics, the more powerful your DualHead2Go multi-monitor environment. Can I connect multiple DualHead2Go/TripleHead2Go units in one system? Although it may be physically possible to connect multiple DualHead2Go/TripleHead2Go units on the same system, Matrox does not recommend doing so. The included Matrox PowerDesk software supports a configuration of one unit per system. Adding more than one unit per system has not been tested. |
